Are You a Giver or a Taker?

20th Sunday after Pentecost
Just these lines, my friends …

… to say much of Western North Carolina was struck on Thursday and Friday of last week with a generational disaster. There have been 162 deaths over six states, many being from North Carolina. Roads are impassable. Food is at a premium. Power is still out over most of the region. In response, the WNC Council on Finance and Administration and the WNC Board of Pensions and Health Benefits have voted to contribute $1M each for a total of $2M to the Helene Relief efforts! Amazing! Read the full statement here.

MUMC, we began collecting our Western North Carolina Disaster Relief offering this past Sunday. You can make a donation to our Global Impact Fund by clicking here. Please choose “Other” under Fund and include “Disaster Relief” in the note.

We are a collection hub for specific items which are being staged in the Gym so they can be taken to Western North Carolina. The first semi-truck is leaving today. Thank you to our community for responding! See pictures below. The supply list and more ways to help was included in an email (read the complete PDF) to the congregation on Monday.

And…this Sunday, October 5 (9:00-1:00 between services), we need your help assembling hygiene & cleaning kits in the Courtyard (Eagles’ Nest if raining). We have all the supplies…we just need YOU to assemble!

MUMC, we want to respond in a big way, so let’s come together and share God’s love with our neighbors to the west. Stay tuned for other ways we will support those impacted as long as recovery efforts continue.

 

 

If you missed being with us on Sunday, you don’t want to miss Pastor Paul’s outstanding sermon. Please click here to listen to his sermon and share in formative worship.

Video Devotional

I’ll never forget the day when Paul Baddour looked at me as we sat on the porch of his Lake Junaluska home and said, “Chuck, you got two kinds of people in the world. You got givers. You got takers. Which one are you?”

I hope you’ll take the time to listen to my devotional to hear how I answered his question.

Mental Health Awareness Month

By the way, just in case you didn’t know, October is Mental Health Awareness month. Our Hope for Minds & Hearts Mental Health Ministry is focusing on Depression Awareness. Learn the signs and symptoms of depression, how it is diagnosed, treatments, and ways to get help by clicking here.

ONE Combined Worship Oct 20 at 10:30 a.m. followed by Lunch

Mark your calendars for Sunday, October 20 at 10:30 am! To kick off our Dual General Fund & Beyond Hospitality Capital Campaign efforts (details below), we’ll have ONE Combined Worship at 10:30 a.m. followed by family-style lunch (no charge, no lines, no waiting) with music, door prizes, videos & special guests! Kids meals come with a cool toy! Above & Beyond Event Details

Don’t miss our Team MUMC “golfers,” Pastors Chuck & Roldan, around campus over the next few weeks encouraging us to be there on October 20th! 2024

 

Capital Campaign: New Renderings & Updated FAQs

View NEW Renderings & FAQs (updated 9/17) for Capital Campaign Sanctuary Upgrades.

Highlighted FAQ:
Q. Why add a lift vs. a ramp?

Many people asked about this during our Feasibility Study focus groups. After further review with the architects, the Building Committee decided that a ramp would actually be a better solution for the project. Everyone can use the ramp, regardless of their mobility and type of assistance (e.g., wheelchair, scooter, rollator, walker, cane). It also allows for multiple users, while the lift can only accommodate one person at a time. Once the ramp is installed, it should require no ongoing maintenance. A mechanical lift must be maintained and monitored for operability, which may incur additional costs. If the lift malfunctions, there would be no alternative accessibility to the Chancel area other than steps. Even though the ramp takes up more space, the Building Committee has determined that our Sanctuary will be able to accommodate it.

Review the Updated Architectural Renderings below to see a concept of the design for the entire space and the ramp on the right side of the Chancel.

This Sunday in Worship

We invite you to join us this Sunday at 8:15 am (traditional; in person only), 9:30 am (contemporary; in person or online here), 9:30 am (Family Worship in the Gym), 11:00 am (traditional; in person or online here) or 12:30 (Spanish; in person or on demand here).

Our Spanish-speaking community (Centro Cristiana Hosanna – CCH) begins a new series on stewardship and generosity. Pastor Roldan’s sermon for this Sunday is from Luke 16:8-16, and the sermon title is Let Us Choose Our Lord Well.

At Family Worship, an interactive, high-energy worship service for the whole family, we’ll focus on the virtue of Self-Control, as we explore how God can help us to “Choose to do what’s best, even when we don’t want to.” Plan to stay for a few minutes after the service in the Commons for refreshments and a craft activity for the kids.

This Sunday is World Communion Sunday. The idea for this day originated in the 1930s during a time of economic turmoil and fear and the rise of the militaristic fascism of Adolf Hitler. A Presbyterian pastor persuaded his church and denomination to designate one Sunday when American Christians would join sisters and brothers around the world at the Lord’s Table. Hence, this Table becomes The Longest Table in the World. That would also be the title of my sermon for Sunday with scripture lessons from Luke 9:10-17 and II Corinthians 4:7.

Closed Captioning for anyone with hearing loss is now available in Worship. Scan the QR code on the bulletin/screen with your own device (tablet or smartphone) which will open a tab in your browser, then customize font size, text color & background color. Watch this instructional video for more detail. Everyone is invited to bring their device to experience these important upgrades originally included in our recent Feasibility Study.

I love seeing our church hallways teeming with activity. The familiar presence of friends. The hopeful faces of children. The movement and sacred bustling of life. The refreshing conversation that draws us in. All this happens because of the way you reach out to your friends, relatives, acquaintances and neighbors and invite them to join you at Matthews United Methodist Church. Keep it up, my friends. It makes a difference.

And now, as always, during these strange, uncertain, but hopeful days, remember, God does God’s best work in moments like this.

Beyond Hospitality,
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

Did you know that Rev. Dawn Hand (former pastor at MUMC) has been appointed as the Director of Equity and Justice for the Western North Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church? In her new role, she will oversee initiatives that promote racial reconciliation, social justice, and equity within the conference, partnering with congregations and communities to create meaningful change. We are so excited to welcome Dawn back home! Read the full press release here.

Did you know that the new brass Bible holder on the communion table was given by our friends from Wesley United Methodist Church? It is a beautiful addition to the worship service.